PM Modi has no relation with poor, poverty: Congress

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked the Congress' dislike for him with his 'poor origins', party leader Anand Sharma hit back saying that the former keeps on commenting on such issues, but he has done nothing for the poor nor he has any relation with poverty.

The senior party leader advised the Prime Minister to study history and learn that it was the Congress who abolished the 'zamindari system'.

"Prime Minister Modi has relations with big industrialists but not poverty. His party has not made any decision in the favour of the poor. He has the habit of commenting on the Congress party. We will send him a book on our party to study," Anand Sharma said.

Citing examples of late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who all "belonged to poor families", Sharma said the prime minister knows very less of history.

"Prime Minister must recall Indira Gandhi's slogan of 'Garibi Hatao'. She nationalised banks so poor can get money easily," he added.

Earlier in the day, Modi said he might have sold tea to earn a living, but never sold his nation, responding to a picture, which Congress' volunteer group tweeted last week, making fun of prime minister's origins.

"The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origin. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become the prime minister. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation," Modi said while addressing a rally in Rajkot.